Heartbreak HOTEL

Their love had sprung up out of a clear blue sky – could she really say goodbye so soon?

- Jean Robinson

I’m standing on the balcony. It’s that time of day. Twilight. A time for dreams. For thinking.

The city is settling for the evening. Traffic is slowing. Couples ambling over the bridge hand in hand. Lovers. Youngsters in jeans. High spirits. Set for a night out.

Under the bridge, cars pass, one by one, in line. Going home.

The sky is turning a paler shade of blue. There’s just a tinge of orange above the horizon. Lights begin to appear in apartment blocks. What must it be like to live so near the sky?

Street lights glow. Grey concrete takes on a rosy hue.

Alone on my balcony, I feel my heartache. The man I love is somewhere near – in this hotel. Tomorrow, we will be miles apart.

Beneath me I think I see him walking along the pavement. I let out the breath I’ve been holding. It’s not him. The pace is wrong. This man is walking slowly. Sam strides out. He’s a man with a purpose. And it’s taking him to the far side of the world. Out of my reach.

There’s a woman pushing a pram. She has someone to care for. Maybe a partner at home. Almost certainly a home.

Sam doesn’t have a home. He’s a man of the world. It’s what he likes.